Do I have to pay?

[cambridgealex]

My building has an underground car park, and I got a pretty suspect looking fine the other day. I have a monthly permit and it was a few hours over, annoying, but fair enough. However I'm not sure how legit this is, or more accurately, how much they can do to me.

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

Read up on "London Parking Solutions" and apparently their threat of getting your details from the DVLA is an empty one. The DVLA only give out details to licensed / regulated companies and this isn't one of them.

Notice no use of the word "penalty", apparently this is key also.

Any experiences or knowledge in this area blonde?

Our friend Martin Lewis had a few posts on his forum from a couple of years back but nothing conclusive.

[Skippy]

As the law stands, private parking tickets (not from the council) are not enforceable.

The law is that they can sue you for the debt, but punative charges are not recoverable in court. That means that they can sue you for the damage you've done (by denying a paying customer the opportunity to park, or a little bit of wear and tear on the tarmac) but they can't sue you for the fine they've decided to charge you. In practise this means you can just ignore it. They will send a series of increasingly grumpy letters, and will threaten to transfer your debt to a "debt collection agency" (the desk next to the one with the "parking company" on it).

All these companies do is specialise in writing official and mean sounding paperwork, rather than any actual parking service.

I got one from the Co-op in West Bridgeford, ignored it and it was all fine (or rather no fine). It might be a bit different if you've been fined by your own building though- I'd imagine they might take away your permit if you don't pay.

By the way, in theory the DVLA only gives out registered keeper details to regulated companies only, but in practise the regulation is so non-existent they may as well admit they give it out to anyone who asks.

[mulhuzz]

absolutely ignore it. don't even respond to it.

shred it/burn it/whatever.

and watch as literally nothing happens as a result.

[Longines]

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=4816822

Ignore it is no longer the recommended action IIRC. The above thread is the FAQ from the 'parking ticket'* forum on MSE.


*yes really. A very strange bunch.

[cambridgealex]

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=4816822

Ignore it is no longer the recommended action IIRC. The above thread is the FAQ from the 'parking ticket'* forum on MSE.


*yes really. A very strange bunch.

London Parking Solutions are not an AOS member so I think most of the advice in that post doesn't apply?

"Appealing a private PCN (England & Wales ONLY)

Windscreen ticket? = STOP!!

Consider waiting 3 weeks and in that time, you MUST check the firm is and AOS member with the BPA or IPC (GOOGLE IT). DO NOT APPEAL AT ALL, IF THEY ARE NOT!

The latest advice is to avoid the debt collector rubbish and in the case of AOS MEMBERS ONLY, appeal after around 21 days if you get a windscreen ticket but as the KEEPER, not driver, using the template below"

[The Camel]

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=4816822

Ignore it is no longer the recommended action IIRC. The above thread is the FAQ from the 'parking ticket'* forum on MSE.


*yes really. A very strange bunch.

Now tell me I was wrong to call Martin Lewis the most depressing man in the media.

Look at what he spawns!

[EvilPie]

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=4816822

Ignore it is no longer the recommended action IIRC. The above thread is the FAQ from the 'parking ticket'* forum on MSE.


*yes really. A very strange bunch.

Now tell me I was wrong to call Martin Lewis the most depressing man in the media.

Look at what he spawns!

You were wrong to call Martin Lewis the most depressing man in the media.

[Woodsey]

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=4816822

Ignore it is no longer the recommended action IIRC. The above thread is the FAQ from the 'parking ticket'* forum on MSE.


*yes really. A very strange bunch.

Now tell me I was wrong to call Martin Lewis the most depressing man in the media.

Look at what he spawns!

You were wrong to call Martin Lewis the most depressing man in the media.

+1 an inspiration to those of us trying to save a few quid. 

[david3103]

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=4816822

Ignore it is no longer the recommended action IIRC. The above thread is the FAQ from the 'parking ticket'* forum on MSE.


*yes really. A very strange bunch.

Now tell me I was wrong to call Martin Lewis the most depressing man in the media.

Look at what he spawns!

You were wrong to call Martin Lewis the most depressing man in the media.

Agreed. This man is worse, and I'm sure there are others

[TightEnd]

a combination of smug, miserable and horrendous

Click to see full-size image.

[The Camel]

a combination of smug, miserable and horrendous

Click to see full-size image.

That's like the the old children's mastermind game.

"3 right, but in the wrong place"

I'll go horrendous, smug, miserable.

Or possibly smug, smug, smug.

[arbboy]

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=4816822

Ignore it is no longer the recommended action IIRC. The above thread is the FAQ from the 'parking ticket'* forum on MSE.


*yes really. A very strange bunch.

Now tell me I was wrong to call Martin Lewis the most depressing man in the media.

Look at what he spawns!

You were wrong to call Martin Lewis the most depressing man in the media.

Agreed. This man is worse, and I'm sure there are others

This man is the most depressing man in the media.  I literally have to turn the channel over any time he appears.  I really don't get why I dislike him so much though.

[arbboy]

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=4816822

Ignore it is no longer the recommended action IIRC. The above thread is the FAQ from the 'parking ticket'* forum on MSE.


*yes really. A very strange bunch.

Now tell me I was wrong to call Martin Lewis the most depressing man in the media.

Look at what he spawns!

You were wrong to call Martin Lewis the most depressing man in the media.

+1 an inspiration to those of us trying to save a few quid. 

Whilst making himself £150m in the process.  He ain't doing it for us boys.

[cambridgealex]

Have done nothing about this and recd this in the post (to my old address weirdly, not the updated address the DVLA have). Plan of action now?

Click to see full-size image.

[bobAlike]

I haven't received a parking charge notice from this particular company but I have received probably 6+ as recently as 2 months ago and I have never paid. Worth having a browse on here though http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/index.php

I would ignore personally.